Star Spangled Banner
Introduction ''' ' The Star Spangled Banner was a major turning point in our nation’s history in the fact that it, along with the creation of the American Flag, finally gave our country something to call our own and give us a trademark that other nations would know us for. When Francis Scott Key wrote the Star Spangled Banner on September 14, 1814 and he originally called it, “The Defense of Fort McHenry”. Francis Scott Key was an American Lawyer and poet. He was born on August 1, 1799 in Frederick County, Maryland. He was homeschooled until the age of 10 and he then went to a school in Annapolis, Maryland for further schooling. He attended St. Johns University in Queens, New York to get his Lawyer’s license and then returned home to pursue his career as a practicing lawyer. He wed Mary Taylor Lloyd and together they had eleven children total. He had his own practice by the time 1805 rolled around in Georgetown, Maryland near Washington D.C. Key was a very strong Christian and he lived according daily with his moral and civil decisions. Key never wanted the war to start, but after witnessing the aftermath of the Capitol after it was burned he felt that there needed to be justice served. ''(bio.com, Francis Scott Key, Early Life and Career) Background' ' When the war of 1812 affected Key he enrolled into the Georgetown militia opposing his pacifistic belief, he was a part of the Federalist Party that was opposed to the War for personal political reasons, and he saw the Embargo Acts put into place by Thomas Jefferson as unconstitutional. So you could say that Key was not a big fan of Thomas Jefferson, but he still believed in his country and that God would take care of the country. The British had just come through D.C. and there they burned the capital building to the ground. When they arrived at Fort McHenry, they captured Dr. William Beanes for arresting British soldiers. (Maryland War of 1812 Bicentennial.1st Paragraph) Key worked with Dr. Beanes quite a bit, and Key played a huge role in the negotiations with the British for the release of Dr. Beanes. Colonel John Skinner and Francis Scott Key boarded the Tonnant, a British ship, to negotiate Dr. Beanes release with the British Gen. Ross and Adm. Alexander Cochrane; though successful none of them were allowed to exit the ship until the British forces captured Fort McHenry. Though their release was embodied on the idea that the British would take the Port, they were unsuccessful due to the resilience of the American soldiers. The morning of September 14th proved to be the single most memorable morning in our nation’s history. That morning Key saw the enormous American flag emerge through the combination of smoke and fire, blowing in the wind. It was this early morning that Key was inspired by the perseverance and valor of the American soldiers at Fort McHenry who defeated the demon that was the British army to write the Star Spangled Banner. (bio.com, Francis Scott Key, War of 1812) Fort McHenry Fort McHenry was established in 1799 on the Baltimore Harbor that played a major role in the War of 1812. It was bombarded by British ships throughout the day of September 13, 1814 up until 1 a.m. the next morning. It was a pentagon with posts on each edge to avoid being surprise attacked from the rear, and so they had a full view of the entire surrounding area. The main usage of Fort McHenry was to store war resources and house troops waiting to be sent out. Fort McHenry was in prime position to support Baltimore because it had a birds-eye view of the open Atlantic Ocean and allowed ships to be spotted quickly. The garrison flag was raised over the Fort before the battle began and it was told that if the flag was still flying the American’s had prevailed but if not the British had taken the Fort. Sure enough the flag was still flapping in the wind and the nation continued to gain confidence and popularity throughout the world. (CX3401802477&docType=GALE&role=SUIC Hay, Thomas Robinson. Dictionary of American History, pg. 185) Star Spangled Banner' ' “Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming? Whose broad stripes and bright stars thru the perilous fight, O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming? And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave? On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep, Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes, What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep, As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses? Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam, In full glory reflected now shines in the stream: 'Tis the star-spangled banner! Oh long may it wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave! And where is that band who so vauntingly swore That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion, A home and a country should leave us no more! Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution. No refuge could save the hireling and slave From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave: And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave! Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand Between their loved home and the war's desolation! Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation. Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just, And this be our motto: "In God is our trust." And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!” (www.usa-flag-site.com) The beginning of the Star Spangled Banner, which is what most people know, explains what Key experienced that morning. Early in the morning after what seemed to be a dead-end for the American’s proved otherwise. “What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming,” is my favorite line from the Star Spangled Banner and one of the most important lines too; meaning that when they saw the flag at sundown some thought that it might have been the last time they saw it. “Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight…. Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there,” (The Star Spangled Banner. Key, Francis Scott. 1st Stanza) the soldiers defended what so many people before had fought for was still standing high. Though the rest of the Key’s poem is unknown to most, it is still very meaningful. He continues to describe the vivid scene of the decimated shore line and fort. They damage is brutal and he paints a picture in your head that can almost make it seem as though you are there. Key did a great job of noting every detail of what he saw; it’s almost like he was taking notes on what was in front of him and what he could see through the window on the ship. Key’s poem was published without delay following his stay on the British ship that night. Key revised and edited the Star Spangled Banner numerous times. Almost instantly following the publication of the Star Spangled Banner the idea of putting it to music came up. Key thought of his favorite song which just so happened to be the British drinking song, “To Anacreon to Heaven.” It became so demanded that merchants in Baltimore began to sell the poem along with the tune leading to the Star Spangled Banner’s boom in popularity and Key’s major acknowledgment of the firsthand account of the battle scene. (UXL Encyclopedia of U.S. History. Page 1477. Evolution of an Anthem) But it was not until 1931 that it was adopted by congress to be the official national anthem of the United States of America. Charles Linthicum, Maryland State Society, and the U.S. Daughters of 1812 are credited with pushing the legislation that made the poem the official National Anthem. (Kirk, Connie Ann. Dictionary of American History. Page 524.) 'Citations ' '' '' 1. American History, National Museum Of. "Encyclopedia Smithsonian: Star-Spangled Banner and the War of 1812." Encyclopedia Smithsonian: Star-Spangled Banner and the War of 1812. Star Spangled Banner Project, Nov. 2004. Web. 31 Oct. 2013. 2. ''Hay, Thomas Robson. "McHenry, Fort." ''Dictionary of American History. Ed. Stanley I. Kutler. 3rd ed. Vol. 5. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2003. 185. Student Resources in Context. Web. 4 Dec. 2013.. 3. Owens, Patricia Ann. "Anthem: The Story Behind the Star-Spangled Banner." School Library Journal June 2013: 54+. General OneFile. Web. 31 Oct. 2013. '' ''4. "Maryland War of 1812 Bicentennial." Maryland War of 1812 Bicentennial. Star Spangled Banner 200, n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2013.. 5.'' ''Kirk, Connie Ann. "Star-Spangled Banner." Dictionary of American History. Ed. Stanley I. Kutler. 3rd ed. Vol. 7. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2003. 524. Student Resources in Context. Web. 31 Oct. 2013. '' ''6. "“The Star-Spangled Banner”." UXL Encyclopedia of U.S. History. Sonia Benson, Daniel E. Brannen, Jr., and Rebecca Valentine. Vol. 7. Detroit: UXL, 2009. 1476-1478. Student Resources in Context. Web. 31 Oct. 201 7. 7. "Francis Scott Key Biography." ''Bio.com. ''A&E Newtworks Television, n.d. Web 10 Nov. 2013.